Har har Madadev !! ~ Shiva standing tall at Haridwar

 

.**नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय ।   तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥**

Hara Hara Mahadev !!

 

Towering above the sacred landscape of Haridwar, Mahādeva stands in majestic tranquillity — the crescent moon adorning His locks, the serpent coiled around Him, and the Trishula held aloft. With one hand raised in abhaya, He seems to offer assurance to all who seek refuge in Him. At the gateway to the holy Ganga, the presence of Gangādhara evokes the timeless union of divine grace, cosmic power and infinite compassion  Hara Hara Mahādeva!  

Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotram

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय    भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय ।

नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय   तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥

Nāgendrahārāya trilocanāya  -  Bhasmāṅgarāgāya Maheśvarāya |

Nityāya śuddhāya digambarāya  -  Tasmai nakārāya namaḥ śivāya ||

 

Salutations to Lord Shiva, who wears the king of serpents as His garland, who has three eyes, whose body is adorned with sacred ash, and who is the Great Lord. He is eternal, pure and clothed in the directions themselves. Salutations to that divine form represented by the syllable Na in the sacred mantra Namaḥ Śivāya

The magnificent statue of Lord Shiva at Haridwar, near the sacred Har Ki Pauri, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in this  holy city in Uttarakhand.  Standing majestically in the vicinity of the Ganga, the towering Shiv Murti forms a striking presence in Haridwar’s spiritual landscape.  

The statue is rich in the traditional symbolism associated with Lord Shiva: 

ü Abhaya Hasta:   signifies fearlessness, protection and reassurance to devotees.

ü Trishula: The trident  represents  His divine power.

ü The serpent: The nāga adorning   symbolises   mastery over fear and death.

ü The crescent moon  adorning His matted locks is associated with time and the cosmic order.

ü The blue complexion:   evokes the legend of Neelakantha, the Lord who consumed the halāhala poison during the churning of the ocean.

ü The serene countenance:  calm expression conveys the profound stillness of the supreme yogi, undisturbed by the ceaseless activity of the world.

 

The setting of this statue is particularly meaningful. Haridwar — Hari-dvāra, the gateway to the divine — is one of the most sacred destinations on the banks of the Ganga. The river, the ghats, the chanting of mantras and the evening Ganga ārati together create an atmosphere of devotion. Shiva is revered as Gangādhara, the Lord who received the celestial Ganga upon His matted locks and moderated her descent to the earth. Thus, a monumental image of Mahadeva overlooking the sacred landscape of Haridwar carries a significance that extends beyond its sheer size.

The statue is a prominent landmark near Har Ki Pauri,  and not any principal deity enshrined in a traditional temple sanctum

Regards – S Sampathkumar
25.9.2026 (pictured on 20.9.2026)